


One, two, three, four, tell me that you love me more.

by Legend



Category: Marvel (Movies), Marvel Avengers Movies Universe, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Bruce + Tony loooovvve, Bruce Meets Rhodey, M/M, Rhodey is definitely not the father of a girl going on her first date. (except he kind of is), tony + rhodey friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-19
Updated: 2012-05-19
Packaged: 2017-11-05 15:56:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/408272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Legend/pseuds/Legend
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rhodey is sitting in front of Bruce right now with a half menacing, half suspicious, one hundred percent I-can-and-will-kick-your-ass expression, and Bruce wonders if this is how teenage boys feel when going face to face with a date's father.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One, two, three, four, tell me that you love me more.

**Author's Note:**

> So, uh, first work here at the archive, first official work in the Avengers fandom. I hope I've done everything justice. 
> 
> Enjoy.

"Tony's had probably a total of five people who have ever legitimately cared about him." 

These are the first words Rhodey had ever spoken to Bruce. These are the words that will flash across his mind everytime he sees Rhodey, and everytime Tony watches the man have to cancel on him for Military business, when he looks a little sad, and a lot of confused by that. 

But, now, Bruce is meeting Tony's best friend. And he doesn't really understand why Rhodey said that.

Rhodey inhales a bit, like he's going elaborate, and so Bruce waits. 

"And really, one's JARVIS, who doesn't really count, because he's programmed to do that." 

He recognizes the name JARVIS, heard Tony say it into the thin air of Stark Towers, heard it speak back in a smooth voice. 

"And another eventually tried to kill him, so, I guess he actually doesn't count either." 

Bruce wonders if that other person was Obadiah Stane, who was Tony's business partner and isn't anymore, but had been spoken highly of years and years ago, who isn't ever mentioned now. He thinks it was. 

"So really, that leaves three. Tony's mother,"

Tony doesn't talk about his mother. Well, he did once. But Tony had been extremely drunk, more than usual drunk. And he had told Bruce about her, and about how he really did know that she cared, he did, but she never showed it, and why did she let his childhood be such shit? And oh, he cared about her. So much. And how she's the only one he would have done anything for, especially if it made her show that she cared just a bit more. And Tony passed out around three, Bruce had moved him to the couch and he had mumbled  
"Happy Birthday Mom." Tony doesn't really talk about his mother. 

"Pepper Potts,"

Pepper is Tony's assistant. Once, she was his "I've got no one else,". The one he had tried to call while throwing a nuke into an alien space ship. The woman he had broken up with two-and-a-half months prior to this meeting, when they both agreed that just because they loved each other, it didn't mean that they were in love with each other, and they couldn't pretend they were. Pepper was just as afraid of Bruce as Tony was, which is not-at-all-you-idiot-so-stop-worrying, and Bruce had liked Pepper.

"And Me."

Rhodey. Bruce had just met him. He's a pilot. He's War Machine. He's Tony's once and always right hand man. He's known Tony for years, and Tony loves him. He had rescued Tony from the desert, had dropped to his knees and hugged him, because Rhodey hadn't given up the search for the idiot who took the 'fun-vee'- whatever that was. Bruce knows all this because Tony had told him the night before, because today his science bro (turned almost boyfriend) was meeting his (I won't ever give up on you) best friend, and he needed a little background info. Rhodey is sitting in front of Bruce right now, with a half menacing, half suspicious, one hundred percent I-can-and-will-kick-your-ass expression, and Bruce wonders if this is how teenage boys feel when going face to face with a date's father. Rhodey inhales again, and Bruce refocuses. 

"So what I'm asking here, Doctor Banner, is if you think you belong on that list. Pepper seems to think so, Tony seems to think so, from the footage of some of your Avengers missions, the Hulk seems to think so."

Bruce thinks long and hard about it. He ignores the bringing up of The Other Guy, because no doubt that was to see if it would anger him, and it does, but it isn't really his anger, and when Bruce remembers moments of he Hulk defending Tony in battle, the anger settles. He thinks long and hard. But, for a brain like his, it actually isn't that long. But he considers what he should say, what he could say, what reactions each reply could bring, how Rhodey would take each one, which way this conversation would go, and-

And then Tony walks in the room, cell phone still pressed to his ear, mouth mumbling as to not disturb Rhodey and Bruce. He's got a smudge of motor oil high on his cheek bone, and a new Black Sabbath T-shirt on, and when he looks up and watches Rhodey wait for Bruce's answer he grins at the man's back, and when he sees Bruce he gives him an honest-to-god-smile, and waves a bit. Bruce's mouth twitches a bit in response, and out of the corner of his eyes he sees Rhodey turning, and he knows that Tony's best friend can see what exactly what Bruce is seeing, and when he turns back around, he looks at Bruce. Rhodey inhales again.

"You know what? Maybe...maybe I think so too." 

Bruce shakes Rhodey's hand, and Tony returns, and they have lunch, and when Rhodey has to leave for military business, Tony walks him to the elevator.

Bruce chuckles at their easy Banter as he gathers their dishes, and muffles a full laugh when he hears Rhodey say "He doesn't talk much, does he?" He tunes them out for the most part, but a few things filter through the clanging of the dishware, and he smiles a bit when Rhodey finally tells Tony that he thinks Bruce is a "pretty good guy,".

 

 

He can hear what Tony says, but Bruce pretends not to hear the faint "Thanks, Rhodey." that's followed by the swish of the doors.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading everyone, I really do hope I've put into this fic all of the passion and beauty I see in every fic on here.  
> Thanks so, so much. 
> 
> (And thank you to the wonderful woman who gave me an invite)


End file.
